Alex Hales and Jos Buttler hammered sensible unbeaten half-centuries as England crushed India by 10 wickets on Thursday to arrange a T20 World Cup final with Pakistan.
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Chasing 169 for victory within the second semi-final in Adelaide, Hales smashed seven sixes in his 86 and Buttler, who made 80, hit three in a spellbinding batting efficiency to cruise into Sunday’s final in Melbourne with 4 overs to spare.
Hardik Pandya’s 33-ball 63 guided India to 168-6, however the complete proved insufficient for an impressed opening pair, as England chase their second T20 crown after their 2010 triumph.
England captain Buttler smashed Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 3 boundaries within the opening over of their chase and his aspect by no means appeared again.
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He stored up the batting onslaught and Hales quickly joined the big-hitting occasion as England raced to 63-0 in six overs.
Hales reached his 50 off 28 balls and was extreme on Axar Patel, who leaked 28 runs in his three overs because the match was torn away from India in a flurry of sixes and fours.
Hales raised the crew’s 100 with one other six off Pandya and Buttler quickly modified gears to meet up with his companion.
The skipper reached his fifty with a six and a 4 off Pandya to douse any hopes of India trying to finish their world title drought since their 2013 Champions Trophy triumph.
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He fittingly hit the profitable runs with a six off Mohammed Shami to arrange a repeat of the 1992 50-over World Cup final between Pakistan and England, which Pakistan gained.
India completed robust of their innings
Earlier, Virat Kohli made his fourth half-century of the match and placed on a 61-run fourth-wicket stand with Pandya, who tore into the opposition assault within the final overs, taking 57 off the final three overs, together with 20 off one from Sam Curran.
But it proved too little, too late, after a sluggish begin with the bat in opposition to some disciplined England bowling after which a ragged efficiency within the area.
Chris Jordan, within the aspect for the injured Mark Wood, picked up three wickets.
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England invited India to bat and KL Rahul started with a cracking boundary off Ben Stokes.
Seamer Chris Woakes had Rahul caught behind off a rising supply for 5.
Skipper Rohit Sharma hit 4 boundaries after a scratchy begin as he and Kohli tried to rebuild however Jordan broke by way of in his first over and ended a 43-run partnership when Sharma mistimed to huge long-on with the rating on 57.
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Suryakumar Yadav smashed a six and 4 off Stokes however quickly fell to Adil Rashid’s leg-spin for 14.
Kohli handed 4 000 T20 worldwide runs with a boundary off Liam Livingstone that took India’s complete to 100-3 after 15 overs.
Kohli, who leads the match batting chart with 296 runs, reached 50 off 39 balls however fell subsequent supply to a pointy catch at brief third man by Rashid off Jordan.
Pandya smashed 4 fours and 5 sixes earlier than treading on his stumps to be out hit wicket off Jordan’s final ball of the innings.
By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
